Unforgettable
by TheAuthorsEditor
Summary: Steve's thoughts during his final fight with the Winter Soldier. This is from the movie "The Winter Soldier" so there will be spoilers. Oneshot.


**Hey people! I recently watched 'Captain America: The Winter Soldier' (on the premiere date in Canada!) and loved this scene. I couldn't get it out of my mind and kept imagining what was running through Steve's beautiful mind. So here it is. Just what I thought would be going on in his thoughts during his last moments with the beloved Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier. Just in case you didn't figure it out before, this is a one-shot (I'm not sure where I'd go further with it). I also have to thank my beta, prereader, and little asian, Rachel. Couldn't have edited it without you.**

**Disclaimer: 'Captain America: The Winter Soldier' isn't mine. Shocking right? But it's true. If there are any similarities in content or dialogue, it's probably because this is a scene from the movie.**

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"Just do it."

As Steve uttered these words to Agent Hill, he knew without a doubt that he would not be surviving the destruction about to occur.

He could feel the blood oozing out from within his veins, through the gun shots his scientifically perfected body would now forever be marred with. Steve wasn't bothered by the shot through his left thigh. No, it was the wound through his abdomen where his once thought dead friend, Bucky Barnes, shot him. That was the most excruciating pain he'd ever experienced before.

Steve lay on the metal mesh of the floor, leaning against the barred hand rails, feeling his life slip from within his grasps. Although dying, he felt content knowing that he, yet again, managed to save millions of innocent lives through this sacrifice, which he would gladly give.

Looking back, he couldn't believe he had managed to get into this situation twice. Saving the world and losing his in the process seemed to be his only reason for existing.

Just as Steve's thoughts came to pass, he felt the vibrations and quakes of the missiles targeting and destroying the Helicarrier he currently located. The metal beams supporting the glass sphere came crashing down around him, heavy debris shattering the glass within its reach.

As he prepared himself for his last moments of life, he heard the distinct sound of a pain filled cry below. Looking down over the rails, Steve saw the unforgettable figure of his friend Bucky trapped beneath one of the fallen metal beams.

Although Bucky attempted to end Steve's life previously, he refused to allow his one true friend, no matter how misguided he currently was, to die before his eyes knowing he could have helped. With his vibranium shield secured to his sculpted back, he dove over the metal rail, sprinting towards Bucky's crushed form.

As Steve approached Bucky, he could clearly identify that the beam resting upon him would take more effort to remove, in his wounded state. Grasping part of the beam beside the lying form of Bucky, Steve lifted, ever so slowly inching its weight off him.

Bucky scrambled out from beneath and quickly straightened himself. He took a defensive stance, as Steve dropped the beam. When Steve turned towards Bucky he was quickly met with an aggressive nature. Bucky fought against him in a highly skilled, practiced manner. Steve deflected hit after hit, only defending himself; he refused to willingly fight Bucky.

As Steve managed to gain enough distance between himself and Bucky, he faced him in a strong, yet wary stance, stating, "I will not fight you." And with those fate filled words, Steve allowed his treasured shield to slip from within his grip. The iconic shield fell between the broken glass and dropped from the Helicarrier, soaring through the air below, not to be found.

Steve wanted this significant action to show Bucky the sincerity for his statement, though he did not receive that result.

Without the shield in Steve's reach, it took Bucky a moment's hesitation to attack Steve, once again. He leapt on Steve, causing both men to go crashing down upon the glass sphere's fragile exterior. Steve lay on the glass, limp and lifeless, allowing Bucky to pull back his metal arm back and repeatedly disfigure his face.

Steve knew with each blow to his face that Sam was right; this was not the same Bucky he once knew in 1942. His friend Bucky was a brother to him, whom he experienced childhood with and had defending him at every turn when he was in his previous weak body. The Bucky he loved would never have thought of injuring Steve, instead he would be the one coming to his defense, beating the ones against him. They both fought and were there for each other, no matter the cost.

Bucky was the closest thing he had to a real brother, and HYDRA took that from him. They experimented on Bucky while he was held captive, managing to erase his memory and feed him lies.

Bucky pulled his metal arm back once more, declaring, "This is my mission." With those words, Bucky laid his final blow to Steve's face with enough force to shatter the glass beneath them. It was through these words, Steve knew in the core of his soul, his brother Bucky would be forever lost to him.

As his body fell through the open air, he mourned the loss of his brother. Nothing he had experienced before could ever compare to the devastation and hopelessness he felt in that moment. Not the loss of simplicity in his previous life, where it wasn't up to him to save the world. Nor the helplessness he felt when he knew that he and his beautiful Peggy would never get their dance. Not even the devastation of watching his brother Bucky fall off the train, into the snowy mountain all those years ago.

Steve did not notice the sudden impact his limp body made upon the water around him, or the icy coldness of the water seeping through his original suit, onto his skin. How could he acknowledge these seemingly insignificant things during this detrimental time?

The last time Steve lost Bucky, he was still his loving brother, working alongside Steve. Both naive, fighting and believing in a world that would never come. Though Bucky was thought to be dead, at least at that time he loved Steve as Steve loved Bucky. That there was unforgettable.

The last image Steve's blue eyes processed before unconsciousness overtook, was a metallic glint in the water above, reaching towards him, in the vague form of a hand. This one last, split second image brought a renewed hope to Steve. Hope he believed he had lost forever.

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**So what'd you think? I honestly loved it, but then again I'm the one who wrote it (biased much?). Thanks for reading and I'd love if you reviewed. **

**I'm also playing around with the thought of doing a Bucky's POV for this scene or the scene where he's in the chair remembering Steve during the good ole' days. I might put up a poll soon for the Bucky POV; depending on you guys take this one-shot.**


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